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My cookbook: "Tehran to New York"

On the Norouz day of 2020 spring, I finally published my book. The manuscript is titled: "Tehran to New York: A culinary bridge between Persian and Western cultures" and aims at presenting a unique blend of classic and contemporary Persian recipes, as well as samples of Western-style cuisine, offered in a Persian context. It is important to build bridges between cultures, and not walls. This book aims at constructing a bridge between the Persian and Western cultures. The book may be ordered here: https://www.amazon.com/Tehran-New-York-culinary-cultures-ebook/dp/B0861H47GS/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=tehran+to+new+york&qid=1584810930&sr=8-1  

Pomegranate molasses and tamarind glazed roasted chicken thighs

My cousin who resides in Iran developed this recipe based on a pre-marinated chicken wing product, once bought from a butcher shop in Tehran. The marinade juxtaposes Caspain ingredients such as pomegranate molasses with some iconic southern Iranian coast ingredients such as tamarind and chili powder. Persian style wing, usually marinated in saffron and lime and grilled on charcoal, is a favorite appetizer for informal parties and gatherings. Besides wings, this recipe can be used to marinate different bone-in or boneless chicken parts. The marinated meat can be roasted in an oven or in an air fryer, or be grilled on charcoal. The default recipe that is presented here is for roasted and glazed chicken thighs.

Ingredients:

2.2 Pounds (~1 kg or 4 large) chicken thighs*

1 Pound (~450 gr or 1 large) white onion, finely sliced 

6 Ounces (~170 gr) tamarind pulp block**

½ cup soy sauce

½ cup pomegranate molasses

1 TSP Kashmiri chili powder

2 Ounces (~56 gr) melted butter

1 TSP granulated garlic powder

1~2 TBSP brown sugar (subject to taste and the sugar content of pomegranate molasses and the acidity of tamarind)

* chicken wings, drumsticks, or kebab style pieces may be substituted 

**in case of difficulties with finding the packed block, use ¼ cup of tamarind concentrate, usually sold in Indian stores (not recommended though)

  • To a marinating bag or vessel, add the chicken and sliced onions.
  • Dissolve the tamarind block in 1/3 cup of boiling water. Break the block with a fork (or better, squeeze it between your fingers), making sure a thick syrup is produced. Measure 1/2 cup of the strained juice.
  • Mix all the rest of the ingredients with tamarind juice and add it to the chicken. Marinate overnight.
  • The next day, discard the chicken and the onion slices from the marinade. Pour the marinade in a saucepan and reduce it to a thick syrup. If one is worried about Salmonella, they should boil the marinade vigorously for a minute and then reduce the heat to medium and let it thicken slowly. 
  • You can either bake the chicken (and optionally the onion slices) in a preheated 375F (~190C) oven or "fry" it in an air fryer or cook it on a charcoal grill.  
  • No matter what cooking method you choose, baste the meat two or three times during cooking with the thickened glaze.



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